"Darker skin needs more shades of orange and red in order to warm the skin."

Women with a darker skin tones often struggle to find the right makeup products that will suit them.

It seems that a vast majority of makeup is catered to lighter-skinned women, and so we give up on looking for products like blushers and foundations.

When it comes to blush, you want to be able to achieve a healthy looking glow.

With so many types and colours on offer at the beauty counters, it can be hard to not get a little flustered with all the choices.

Makeup artist Gabriel Almodovar says: “Blush is designed to look like a natural flush of the cheek, so the darker your skin is, the deeper your natural flush should be.”

It is important to understand your skin tone and what a good blush can do for you, so this might mean that you need to think outside of the pinks-and-peaches box when thinking about what to buy.

As Kay Montano of Chanel explains: “In the same way that a rosy blush looks on paler skin, darker skin needs more shades of orange and red in order to warm the skin.”

Examples of Orange and Red Toned Blushes

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks in Blushed Rose – £19.00 bobbibrown.co.uk This is a fabulous product for those who love to match, and is great for that just-bitten look.

Sleek Blush by Three in Pumpkin – £9.99 sleekmakeup.com Sleek have a wonderful range that caters to women who have darker skin, and with prices like these, you can’t go wrong!

Pixi Sheer Cheek Gel in Peachy – £12.50 pixibeauty.co.uk Cheek gels like this are great if you don’t wear foundation and looks great when blended onto bare skin for that au naturel look.

Of course, you don’t have to always stick to the same colour palettes of orange and red all the time, as that would be boring! The changing seasons will give you a chance to experiment and have fun with colours.

In Autumn/Winter, flawless skin and fresh cheeks are of the key looks for the season. Think ‘a crisp autumn day topped with crushed berries’ skin where cheeks look naturally flushed.

Look for vibrant and deep shades of pinks and plums such as Benefit Lollitint (£24.50 – benefitcosmetics.co.uk) and e.l.f HD Blush in Diva (£4.50 – eyeslipsface.co.uk).

Berry cheeks also look great as you can achieve a deeper flush than you would with a lighter pink.

It can be easy to shy away from colours that might seem to light and pale, but blushers can be deceptive, such as Bobbi Brown Blush in Pale Pink (£19.00 – bobbibrown.co.uk) which is a great pop of colour to battle the dark and dreary days ahead.

Sabahat from Manchester says:

“My favourite blush brand has to be NARS. The blushers are really pigmented, amazing quality and even though they are a little bit pricey, they are worth every penny.

“My all-time favourite colours have to be Orgasm and Deep Throat,” she says. (NARS Blush in Orgasm and Deep Throat both £22.50 each – narscosmetics.co.uk)

Neelam from Cardiff says: “I always use MAC blushers. I like to use peachy-colours through the summer such as Peachykeen. With my particular skin tone, plum tones suit me best so I use Plumfoolery.” (MAC Powder Blush in Peachykeen and Plumfoolery both £18.00 each – debenhams.com)

Try Before You Buy

1. Figure out which blush formula works best for your skin type:

Powder

Works well for normal to oily skin, but can sometimes make dry skin look dull.

Cream

Works well on dry skin, but avoid if you have oily/combination skin as you could risk clogging and breakouts. Great for use in colder months, but may feel like it is “melting” during the warmer ones.

Gel

Works best on moisturised skin and because of its sheer consistency, can look great on darker skin tones. However, these must be applied and blended very quickly otherwise you could end up with blotchiness.

Stain

Good for longevity and works best on normal to oily skin. This can be tricky and messy to apply and needs to be blended before it dries.

2. Try to test blusher over the makeup you would wear it with (primer, foundation etc.)

3. Find the apple of your cheeks by smiling and applying the blush to the top of the apple and blend outwards (try not to be too heavy-handed either).

4. Always try to view the result in natural light – as most stores have less-than-flattering light, it would be an idea to go outside.

The key thing to consider when buying products is to always test that product first, so that a colour you thought was too vivid or too pale in the packaging, could look stunning when applied to your face (or could look like a disaster).

Remember, no matter what your skin type or skin tone, there is a vast array of colours and formulas out there to suit every individual; you just need to go looking for it!

Samaiyyah is a Creative Writing graduate who enjoys reading, writing and watching documentaries and films. A self-confessed geek, she has a love of baking and the arts. Her life motto is: “DON’T PANIC!”